Is stress good or bad for you?

A question a client asked when we were discussing stress in life and stress on the body from exercise.

Stress isn’t inherently bad - it depends on the type, duration, and how you handle it.

Stress & Exercise

Good Stress is also called “eustress” and with the right level it can be:

• Motivating: Helps you push through workouts, meet targets in work, or take on challenges in life.

• Improves Performance: In small doses, stress sharpens focus and boosts energy.

• Builds Resilience: Overcoming stress strengthens mental toughness.

Bad Stress or distress can lead to:

• Chronic Stress: Long-term stress increases cortisol, leading to fatigue, anxiety, and muscle breakdown.

• Impaired Recovery: Too much stress impairs sleep and slows muscle growth.

• Health Risks: Linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, weakened immunity, and poor digestion.

Our everyday life is a lot more stressful these days because we never stop, or feel guilty for stopping or resting. This is where we can creep into chronic stress…constantly working, on our phones, watching the news or tv programmes, eating high levels of sugar or highly processed foods.

This is why I approach stress with clients because they may think they need to exercise more on top of what they are doing when actually we need to look at other factors in their lifestyle.

Exercise is also a stressor on the body, when done properly it is a good stress, but when it’s done too much it can become a problem.

How Exercise is a Stressor:

• Physical Stress: Training (especially weightlifting and cardio) breaks down muscle fibers and depletes energy stores.

• Hormonal Response: Cortisol (a stress hormone) increases temporarily, but so do endorphins, which help with mood and recovery.

• Nervous System Impact: Intense workouts activate the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight mode).

Why It’s Beneficial (If Managed Well):

• Adaptation & Growth: Your body responds by repairing muscles stronger (hypertrophy).

• Resilience: Regular training improves your ability to handle other stressors.

• Mental Benefits: Exercise reduces anxiety and improves sleep, making it a great stress reliever.

When Exercise Becomes Too Much:

• Overtraining: If you train too hard without recovery, stress accumulates, leading to fatigue, poor performance, and increased injury risk.

• Lack of Recovery: Not enough sleep, poor nutrition, or too much cardio can make exercise a negative stressor.

When I see too much stress in a lifestyle or too much training it is often due to a lack of eating properly or the ability to rest.

If you feel you are not improving in the gym, not getting the results you want, are struggling with energy or motivation look inwards to see how stressed you are. Plus, are you eating and drinking enough? Under recovering is stressful on the body and may impair your chances of results.

If you are the type that finds it difficult to rest or stop, think about adding in active recovery between your sessions, such as a restorative Yoga class or a long walk outside - that means you are active but also bringing the body back into a place of calm physically and mentally.